ENCINITAS — The plan was straightforward. Finish Solana Beach by mid-March. Move north. Pump 340,000 cubic yards of sand onto a 7,800-foot stretch of Encinitas shoreline, from Beacon's to Boneyards, by the end of April.
That is not what is happening.
At a recent project update, Encinitas Coastal Zone Program Administrator Todd Mierau told residents that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is now planning a return trip to San Clemente — a separate dredging job that was paused after the sand pulled from the seafloor turned out to be the wrong quality. That detour pushes the start of the Encinitas phase back an estimated two months, to May.
What the Project Involves
The Encinitas portion of the federal sand replenishment program is, by any measure, substantial. Sand will be dredged from a borrow site roughly 3,500 feet offshore of San Dieguito Lagoon, pumped through pipes near D Street, and shaped into a berm along the beach. The fill is designed to be 50 feet wide along the 7,800-foot stretch of shoreline.
The project is a 50-year commitment, with re-nourishment cycles every five years. The first cycle alone uses 340,000 cubic yards of compatible sand — sand that, critically, must match the grain size and color of the existing beach.
That matching standard is what put San Clemente on hold. The Army Corps's initial dredge there pulled up material the agency deemed unsuitable. Rather than dump it, the project paused. Engineers have since identified a workable borrow site, and crews are returning to finish the job before moving south to Encinitas.
Moonlight as a Staging Area
When the work begins, it will not be invisible. Moonlight Beach, the city's most popular stretch of public sand, will serve as the staging area for equipment and sand pipes. The city has confirmed that portions of Moonlight will be partially closed for public safety during the work.
The closure is a tradeoff most residents and city officials have, by all public accounts, accepted. The bluffs that frame Encinitas's beaches have been losing sand for decades. Without periodic replenishment, the beaches narrow, the bluffs erode, and the public access points become harder to use safely.
Separately, the D Street Staircase Stays Closed
Beachgoers planning trips this spring should also note that the D Street staircase remains closed for repairs. The city has directed visitors to use the Moonlight Beach access point as an alternative — the same beach that will, in May, be partially closed for the replenishment work.
The timing is unfortunate. It is also typical of municipal infrastructure: one repair job slows down, a second one closes a stairwell, and the people who use these beaches end up with fewer options for several months running.
The city has not yet announced precise dates for the Moonlight closure. Updates will be posted at encinitasca.gov.
Sources: Statements from Encinitas Coastal Zone Program Administrator Todd Mierau at a public project update; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; City of Encinitas.